1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to telecommunications and, more particularly, to methods and systems for transmitting streaming media content to wireless subscriber stations.
2. Description of Related Art
Cellular wireless networks were developed primarily to provide voice communication services to mobile devices. However, wireless service providers have also begun using their cellular wireless networks to provide other types of services, such as providing streaming media content that can be received by and viewed on subscribing mobile devices. Such streaming media content may include audio and/or video, e.g., music selections, movies, or television programming.
Two general approaches have been proposed for providing streaming media content to mobile devices. In one approach, the mobile devices receive streaming media content from terrestrial or satellite broadcasts. For example, the DVB-H and DVB-SH specifications of the Direct Video Broadcasting Project use this approach. However, these streaming media broadcasts typically use a frequency spectrum that is different from that of the cellular wireless network. Thus, a base station in a cellular wireless network may transmit signals for a voice call in one frequency spectrum, while a separate frequency spectrum may be used to broadcast streaming media content to mobile devices. The use of two separate frequency spectra typically results in the mobile device having two separate radios, one radio for receiving transmission from base stations in the cellular wireless network and another radio for receiving streaming media broadcasts. Thus, this approach may require a more complicated mobile device.
In another approach, the streaming media content is transmitted through the cellular wireless network. Thus, a separate frequency spectrum is not needed to provide streaming media content to mobile devices. Instead, the streaming media content originates from one or more content servers in a core network and is backhauled through the cellular wireless network to the base stations that can then wireless transmit the streaming media content. This means that the resources of the wireless service provider's network are used to provide both voice communication services and streaming media content. An example of this approach is the Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS).